Apparatus for sewing-machine constructions



A. EIG. APPARATUS FGR SEWING MACHINE CONSTRUCTIONS.

APPLICATIGN FILED APR. 3, i919. 1,35 1,029. Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

6 SHEETS-SHEET I.

AFPUCATION FILE-D APR. 3, i919.

Patented Auw. 31, 1920.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

] wuantoz A. EIG.

APPARATUS FOR SEWING MACHINE CONSTRUCTIONS.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

5 nvm/woz EIG.

APPARATUS FOR SEWING MACHINE CONSTRUCTIONS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 3, 1919.

Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

A. EIG.

APPARATUS FOR SEWING MACHINE CONSTRUCTIONS.

Patented Aug. 31,1920.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

APPLICATION FILED APR, 3, 1.919.

3 num/Vio@ s@ im www@ A. EIG.

APPARATUS FOR SEWING MACHINE CONSTRUCTIONS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 3 I9I9.

1,35 1 ,029, Patented Aug. 31, 1929.

6 SHEETS-SHEE' 5.

QFFICE.

ALEXANDER EG, OF .NEW YRK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR SERVING-M'CHINE CONSTRUCTIONS.

.application led April 3, 1%9.

To all whom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER E1s, a citizen of the United States, and resident ot the city of New York, in the county of Bronx and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ap-V paratus for Sewing-Machine Constructions, ont which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful apparatus tor use in connection with sewing-machine constructions, and more particularly concerns sewing-machine constructions of the kind designed for use in shops, factories and like places where the sewing ot' materials is usually conducted on a large scale.

The principal objects ot my invention are: (l) to provide an apparatus of the character specified, having such an arrangement of cooperating devices and parts as will enable the operator to run the sewing-machine at full capacity throughout the working hours, and so to obtain a .large increase in production; (2) to provide a novel apparatus having; both a labor saving and a safety character, designed to increase production with. a decrease of physical effort and mental strain on the part ot the operator, and to satetguard inexperienced and careless operators -from coming into contact with the operating sewing-machine needle; and to provide as important it aturesl ot the apparatus: novel carriers, designed to convey the material and to hold it while being sewed, and adapted to be employed either individually or in trains; an automatically operated thread-cutting mechanism; means for discoiuiecting;l the train connected carriers; and, linally, mechanism whereby to return the carriers to a convenient place where they may be used over again.

lVith the foregoing objects in view and others, which will become apparent as the description is proceeded with, the invention resides in the details ot construction and in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed.

The preferred embodiment of my invention, as reduced to practice, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a material part ot this specification, and in which 1 Figure l is a top plan view of an apparatusconstructed in accordance with my invention.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Anon 31, i920.

Serial No. 287,120.

Figs. Q, and?) are views in front and rear elevation, respectively.

' F ig. 4 is a detail `view of the device associated with the pressure bar of the sewingmachine for cutting` the thread.

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of a seltbalancing transfer device which works on the crank shaft.

Fig. 6 is a view in edge elevation ot a type ot pressure roller, and of the means for supporting' the same above the guideway..

Fig. 7 is a. detail, partial sectional view, showing the clutch mechanism for controlling' the operation of the crank shaft.

Fig. 8 is a detail view of the key in the clutch mechanism.

Figs. 9 and lO'are perspective views, showing, respectively, the top and bottom mem bers of a carrier tor the material to be sewed.

Fig. ll is a similar view,-showing how two carriers may be coupled together, one ot the same being' tractionally shown.

Fig. l2 is a detail view inside elevation with the crank shaft in section, showing; the mechanism employed for swinging asidea pressure roller.

Fig. 18 is a similar view, illustrating` how the shipping lever for the clutch mechanism is operated.

Fig. lei. is a detail viewof the shipping lever.

Referringmore particularly to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 2O denotes al longitudinal work-table, herein shown centrally supported upon transversely connected standards as 2l.. Secured upon the work-table, transversely thereot, immediately over the standards, is a sewing-machine construction 22, which may be of any suitable well-known type. Through the usual transmission, the sewing-machine is driven from the electric motor 23, controlled through the medium ot a treadle 24 or other suitable means.

The specilic position of the sewing-ma chine upon the work-table is such: that its vertically-operating needle 25 works in a path that falls slightly behind a guideway 26, provided longitudinally in the work-table, the machine surface plate 26 being` counter sunk to lie vflush with the bottom of" said guideway; that its corrugated Jabric feeding' plate 27 will oscillate in the bottom ot said guideway, lengthwise thereof; and that its spring-pressed pressure toot bar 28 .may be utilized to operatively control a comm Vroller 36 having end flanges 37 adapted to straddle the guideway.

As a means of conveying the material to be sewed and of securely holding the same while being sewed, l provide novel longitudinal fabric carriers, consisting of top members 37 (Fig. 9) and bottom members 33 (Fig. l0), having their confronting faces 39 and 40,Vv respectively, ri( ged as shown or otherwise corrugated to provide gripping surfaces between which the material to l: e sewed may be firmly held. Each top member 37 has its opposite ends rounded asat 4l, fora reason to be presently-explained; and these ends'are slotted as at 42 to receive the upstanding pegs 43 of the bottom member 38, wherebythe top is held in proper position with respect to the bottom. The opposite ends of each bottom member extend beyond its top member, and

have cut therein transverse lrerfs 44, to provide transverse tongues 45; it being observed that at the forward end of the bottom the lrerf is cut in the top Surface, while at the rear end thereof it is cut in the underneath surface, so that the bottom members maybe readily coupled up in an obvious manner in train arrangement.

rihe fabric carriers, thus constructed of two readily separable members and thus capable of being train connected, are of suoli size, in respect to their width as to Afit slidably in the guideway 26. ln 'respect to length, they may vary as may be necessary to accommodate different lengths of fabrics, which, in order to be sewed, must be stretched between the pegs 43 of the bottom member and there clamped tightly by the top member, with the edge or edges to be sewed sliding onv the work-table at the rear side of the guideway in position tobe carried forward under the vertically-operating needle, which accomplishes the sewing in the usual way. it should be noted here that the provision of the slot and peg structures 4l and 43, respectively, not only permits the fabric carriers to be readily connected and disconnected, but also. permits the holding with equal facility of fabrics or materials widely varying in thickness or texture.

For a purpose to be presently explained, there rises from each top member37, midway its width, a longitudinal fin 46 `having longitudinally' a gently curved forward end 47 and an abruptly curved rear end 48. Se that the oscillating feeding plate 27 of the sewingmachine may have a suitable surface to act on for the advancement of the fabric carriers through the guideway, there is secured to the under side of each bottom ber 3S a plate 49,V made of leather 'or other suitable frictional material, of a size to cover the entire underneath surface except the end coupling regions as shown (F igs. l() and il). V7 hen, in the present embodiment, the fabric carriers are initially placed in theV guideway, they must be moved along manually until the said'oscillating feeding plate 27 `engages the first one, after which they are drawn along automatically. As the train advances, the carrier on which the plate 27 acts, pushes along those preceding it and pulls along those following it.

rFo'rfurther the carrying out of these operations and at the same time to secure the holding of the fabric between the top and bottom members 37 and 38 against shifting or displacement, I provide roller devices, supported to overhang the guideway and in position to exert pressure upon the top member 37. Y

Thus, located over and along that portion of the guideway which constitutes the ap,- proach to the machine needle 25, are rollers as 50, each formed with outer rims 51 (Fig. 6) adapted loosely to overlie the opposite sides of the top member'37, and with inner rims 52, the peripheries of which-bear upon said top member, but which are spaced suiiiciently to allow the free passage of the fins v46 thereof. Each of these rollers is operatively held byva yoke 53, the square stem 54 of which works through suitable openings in the horizontal arms of the channel-shaped bracket 55; the downward movement of said yolre being limited by a key 56, whi le its upward movement is resisted by a spring 57. Holding each braclre 55 at the proper elevation is a support 58, angular in form as shown, so as to rise from the work-table such a distance from the rear side of the guideway as to allow anintervening space for the free advancement of the fabric edges to be sewed. ldlhen the fabric carrier passes the operating needle 25, its top member 37 is acted on by the roller 36, liereinbefore described;

and this roller, as it runs down each rounded end 4l of the top member 37, causes the movable blade of the scissors 4to descend,

severing the thread which is carried by the operating needle 25V from the fabric held in one cari-ier to that held in the next succeeding one. rThe movable blade of the scissors, urged by a spring 59, rises upwardly again for the next operation, when the roller 36 ascendsthe adjacent end 41 of the next carrier.

. Moving onward from the roller 86, the fabric carrier is first engaged by a roller 60 and then by a roller 6l (Figs. 1 and 2). As the fabric has now been sewed and also removed a distance from the operating needle 25, l here make provision first to allow the removal of the fabric from its carrier, and then to transfer the carrier to other rollers as 62, operatively supported on posts as 63, rising' from the work-table at the rear of the guideway. lith these ends in view, rollers 60 and 61 are associated with mechanism whereby bodily to swing them clear of' the carrier, and also of the path it describes when transferred to the rear rollers 62.

The mechanism associated with these two rollers being precisely alike, a description of that for one of them will suffice for both. ln Fig. 12, it will be seen that the roller 60 is operatively held by a yoke Gel, springpressed from the head 65, in which the stem of the yoke has longitudinal movement; the said head 65 being formed on the end of the forwardly curved arm 66, rigid with a shaft 67, appropriately journaled in blocks 68, which rise from the work-table. Fast on the shaft 67 is a gear 69 meshed with the toothed segment 70 cut on the follower 7l, having movement on a shaft 72, secured in said blocks 68. rllhe rear end of this follower is formed with opposed laterally extending parts 73, between which works a disk 74, eccentrically engaged on the shaft 75. This arrangement is such that when the disk is in the position shown in full lines, the roller 60 will be held in position to engage a fabric carrier; but when the disk is turned into the position shown in broken lines, the roller will be swung` in an obvious manner into the rear horizontal position, indicated in broken lines.

is best seen in Fig. l, there are combined with shaft 7 5, two double cranks 76V and 7 7 which turn in the openings 7S and 79, respectively, provided through the work-table. On each double crank is loosely journaled, at

its head end, a transfer carrier 80, made in the form shown in Fig. 5, and having provided in its head end between the opposed sides Si a hollow or bight 82 to receive the fabric carrier; so that, when the cranks are turned, the transfer carriers will pick up a fabric carrier from the guideway, uneouple from its next following carrier, transfer it over the rollers 60 and 61, and finally de posit it on the rear rollers 62. rlhe lower end of each transfer carrier is enlarged and weighted as at so as to constantly maintain itself in vertical position.

Adjacent the double crank 76, there is loosely mounted on the shaft 7 5 a gear 84.-, which revolves in an opening 65, and which is in meshwith a worm gear 85', on the transverse shaft 86, held by bearing hangers underneath the work-table. This shaft 86 above the work-table in suitable bearingv blocks, and having driving connection with one of the rear rollers 62.V Said shaft 90 also has a pulley 91, driven from the sewingmachine pulley 92 by a belt 93; whereby all of these mechanisms are driven from the sewinganachine in an obvious manner. lilith the roller 62, to which the shaft 90 is connected7 there is engaged an endless traveler 94 which turns upon other similar rollers 95, so that each fabric carrier, upon being deposited on the rollers 62, will be engaged at once by the endless carrier 94 and transported back to the end 96 of the work-table.

That the shaft may be revolved only when a fabric carrier has been advanced into position to be picked up by the transfer carriers, l. provide a suitable clutch mechanism, herein consisting (Fig. 7 of the spaced collars 97 and 9S, both fast on the shaft 7 5. Partly cut in these collars and partly cut in this shaft is a key-way 99, which extends also into the loose gear 8%. Seated in this key-way is a key 100, normally urged forward by a push spring 101 to connect the gear 84 with the shaft. Along its underneath edge, the key 100 is recessed to provide a shoulder 102 in position to be engaged bythe narrowed end 103 of the shipping lever 104, when said shipping lever7 fulerumed at 105 and urged by a pull spring 106, is permitted to assume the position shown lin full lines in Fig. 13, in which the gear Se is free to move while shaft 75 is held locked. But when the shipping lever is trippedv by a carrier fin 46, as illustrated in broken lines, the key 100, being released, springs forward in the key-way to lock the gear 84 on the shaft. Each time, therefore, the shipping lever is tripped by the front end 17 of a carrier fin, the clutch will be aetuated to operate the shaft 75. ln general, the lin is located on the carrier close to the rear end thereof, and the shipping` lever is located in advance of the first double crank 76, but the precise relative positions of these parts must, of course, be such that' when the carrier has advanced far enough in the guideway to be transferred, the double cranks 7 6 and 77 will be rising through the gnideway to effect the transfer'.

rlhe relation of the operation of the mechanisms which control the swinging of the pulleys 60 and 61 must be such with respect to the rising of the double cranks through the guideway that these pulleys will be drawn ont of engagement with an advancing carrier just a little before the double cranks rise to pick up the carrier. The purpose of this is not only to clear the path for the transfer of the carrier, but also to allow an interval of time for the withdrawal of the sewed material from between the carrier top and bottom members. Immediately in front of .the rollers and 61, the table is cut away closely to the guideway as at 107, so that the sewedV material, when it reaches this region, will drop almost directly from the carrier to the floor and by its own weight be drawn from between the vtop and bottom carrier members as soon as the rollers 60 and 61 are moved from engagement with-the top of the carrier. Where the material is not heavy enough to cause its own withdrawal, theoperator can readily withdraw the same with a sudden pull as soon as the carrier top is released. Y

While I have herein illustrated and described the preferred form of my invention, it will be understood that changes and alterations in the details of construction and in other particulars may be made, to which changes and alterations the inventor is entitled,provided the same are effected within the scope of what is claimed.

Y Having thus described my invention, what I'claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination of a sewing-machine having a needle, a longitudinal guidway located at one side of the path of the needle, a longitudinal fabric carrier traveling in said guideway to draw material to be sewed across the path of said needle whereat the sewing operation is accomplished, and mechanism for automatically removing the fabric carrier 'from said guideway.

2. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination with a sewing-machine having a needle, longitudinal train connected carriers adapted individually to hold materials to be sewed, provisions for mechanically conducting the train connected carriers past said needle whereat the materials are sewed, means for separating said connected carriers, and mechanism for returning the individual carriers to a convenient place for subsequent operations.

In an apparatus of the kind described, vthe combination with a sewing-machine having a needle, a longitudinal guideway eX- tending past the path yof the needle, a longitudinal carrier slidable in the guideway and consisting of top and bottom members between which material to be sewed may be held, means for imparting continuous travel to said carrier to draw the material to be sewed across the path of the needle, and means for yieldingly exerting pressure upon the top member of the carrier whereby the material is held against shifting or displacement.

4. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination with a sewing-machine having a needle and aV yielding pressurebar, of a longitudinal guideway extending by the needle at one side ofthe path thereof and below the pressure bar, a longitudinal carrier traveling in the guideway and consisting of top and bottom members between which material to be sewed may be held so as to be drawn across the path of the Vneedle whereat the sewing operation is accomplished, a roller depending from the pressurebar to bearon said top member for holding the material against displacement, and mecha-V nism associated with the pressure bar by which to sever the thread when the sewing is completed. v

5. In an apparatus of the kinddescribed, the combination ofa longitudinal work-table having a guideway extending lengthwise thereof, a sewing-machine disposed transversely of the work-table and having a needle working at one side of said guideway, a fabric carrier traveling in the guideway and adapted to draw the fabric held thereby across the path, of the needle whereat the fabric is sewed, and mechanism for removing the carrier from the guideway.

6. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination of axwork-table having a guideway therein, a sewing-machine disposed on said table and having a needle working at one side of said guideway and a feeding plate oscillating in said guideway, aV

longitudinal carrier slidable in the guideway and adapted to draw material to be sewed across the path of the needle, said carrier having on its under surface means on which the oscillating feeding plate may act to cause the travel of the carrier through the guideway, and yielding means for exerting pressure on the top of the carrier.

7., In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination with a work-table having a guideway therein, a sewing-machine disposed on said table and provided with a needle working at one side of said guideway and a feeding plate oscillating in said guideway, train coupled fabric carriers slidable in the guideway and adapted each carrier to draw material to be sewed across the path of the needle, said carriers having on their under surfaces means on which .the oscillating plate may act to cause thetravel of the carriers through the guideway, means for uncoupling the carriers when the sewing is completed, and mechanism removing the individual carriers from the guideway.

8. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination with a longitudinal worktable having a guideway extending lengthwise thereof, a sewing-machine Vdisposed transversely of the table and provided with a needle working at one side of the guideway and with a feeding plate oscillating therein, train coupled carriers slidable in the guideway and consisting each of top and c fissi ,ese

bottom .members between which material to be sewed may be held, said carriers having on their under surfaces means on which the oscillating plate may act to cause the travel of the carriers through the guideway, each carrier as it advances drawing its material across the path of the needle whereat the sewing is effected, means yieldingly bearing on the top members of the carriers to prevent the displacement ofthe material, mechanism for automatically severing the threads between the materials held by successive carriers, automatically operated mechanism for uncoupling the carriers and remo vingl them individually from the Vguideway, and mechanism for automatically returning the individual carriers to a convenient place for the next operation.

V9. In `an apparatus of the kind described, the combination with a work-table provided with a guideway, of a. sewingmachine on the work-table having its needle working at one side `of the guideway and its feeding plate oscillating in the guideway and its pressure bar depending above the guideway, train coupled carriers slidable in the guideway and adapted to be advanced therethrough by the oscillation of said feeding plate, said carriers being adapted each to draw materials across the path ofthe needle whereat to be sewed and being formed each with rounded top ends, a roller at tached to the pressure bar to follow the tops of the advancingl carriers including the rounded ends, thread-cutting mechanism associated with said roller structure and actuated thereby to sever the sewing thread whenever the roller descends a rounded end, mechanism normally inactive for uncou pling and removing the carriers from the guideway, and means coperating with the last-named mechanism and adapted to be actuated by engagement at a certain point with each advancing carrier whereby to render said last-named mechanism active. i

10. 1n an apparatus of the kind described, the combination with a work-table provided with a guideway, of a sewing-machine on the work-table having` its needle working at one side of the guideway and its feeding plate oscillating in the guideway, train coupled carriers slidable in the guideway and adapted to be advanced automatically therethrough when acted on by said oscillating feeding plate, each of said carriers being adapted to draw material to be sewed across the path of said needle, an endless traveler supported on the table in relation to said guideway, means for driving said endless traveler from the sewing machine, mechanism normally inactive for unconpling the carriers as they advance and for transferring them individually to said endless traveler, and means co-acting with the lastnamed mechanism arranged to. be engaged by `each advancing carrier and to be thereby actuated whereby Vto render` said last-named mechanism active;

1l. ln combination, a power driven sewing-machine having a needle, longitudinal mechanical. parts for holding and carrying material to be sewed, provisions for mechanically guiding and conducting said parts to go by said needle whereat the material is sewed, an endless traveler driven by the sewing-machine, and mechanism operated from the sewing-machine for receiving said mechanica-l parts and transferring them to said endless traveler after the material has been sewed.

12. In combination with a sewing-machine having a working needle and an oscillating feeding plate, a longitudinal fabric carrier and means for guiding it onto said oscillating feeding plate in a course to go by said needle, said carrier having on its under surface means on which said oscillating plate may act whereby automatically to effect the advance of the carrier beyond the needle, said carrier consisting of top and bottom members between which material to be sewed' may be held in position to be drawn across the path of the working needle whereat the material is sewed, and means associated with the sewing-machine to exert yielding pressure on said top member by which to hold the material against displacement while being sewed.

13. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination with a work-table provided with a guideway, and with spaced longitudinal openings communicating therewith at right-angles, of a longitudinal fabric carrier traveling in said guideway, mechanism for removing said carrier from the guideway and comprising a shaft traversing said openings and provided with cranks adapted to turn through said openings, self-balancing devices on said cranks and provided with head ends channeled to correspond substantially with said guideway and adapted to embrace the advancing carrier under the upward stroke of the cranks, means for turning said shaft in relation to the travel of the carrier, and means on which the carrier may be deposited under the downward stroke of the cranks.

14:. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination of a worktable having a guide-way and spaced longitudinal openings communicating therewith at rightangles, of a fabric carrier and means for causing it to travel in the guide-way, said carrier being provided with a fin, a structure opposite said guideway and in relation to said openings to receive said carrier, mechanism for transferring said carrier to said structure and comprising a shaft havsaid shaft, mechanism normally preventing Y service application of said driving means and arranged to be engaged and actuated by the iinon the advancing carrierwh'ereby to operate said'last-named mechanism to Vallow a service application of the driving means. o

l5. In an apparatus of the kind described, a work-table having a guidewayv and spaced openings communicating' therewith, a fabric carrier consisting of top and bottom members traveling in said guideway, said top member having a iin, bodily movable pres'- sure rollers supported to exert yielding presr sure onsaid top member, a structure opposite said guideway and in relation to said spaced openings to receive the carrier, mechanism for transferring the carrier onto, said structure and comprising a shaft having cranks working in said openings, self-balancing devices on the cranks for receiving thev carrier, mechanism normally inactive for turning the shaft and including a coacting part positioned to be engaged and actuated by the fin on the advancing carrier whereby to render said mechanism active. and means associated with the shaft by which to swing said pressure rollers clear of said carrier as the sclf-balancing devices move to transferthe carrier to said receiv ing structure.

16. In an apparatus of the kind described, a work-table having a guide-way and spaced longitudinal openings communicating there with at rightangles, train coupled fabric carriers traveling in said guideway and provided each with a fin, a structure opposite-said guideway-and in Vrelation to said openings for receiving said carriers, bodily movable pressure rollers supported to exert yielding pressure on the tops of said carriers, mechanism for uncoupling said connected carriers and for transferring them individually to said structureand comprisinga shaft having cranks adapted to work in said openings, self-balancing devices on the cranks to embrace and uncouple a carrier under the upward stroke of the cranks, means driving said shaft, mechanism controlled by the shaft for moving said'pressure rollers clear of the carriers, mechanism normally preventing service application of said driving means, and means co-acting with the last-named mechanism and ositioned to be engaged and actuated by the fin on each advancing carrier whereby to operate said last-named mechanism to allow a service application of the driving means.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ALEXANDER EIG. 

